Fiber optic management system

ABSTRACT

The invention comprises a fiber optic management system with a tray having a first fiber optic receiving area to receive an input optical fiber. A second fiber optic receiving area receives a tap fiber. A fiber optic splice connector is disposed between the first and the second fiber optic receiving area to receive the input fiber from one side and the tap fiber from another side. The first and the second fiber optic receiving areas can be loaded with their respective fibers without disturbing the other fiber optic receiving area.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to a fiber optic tray for managingoptical fibers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Aerial splice enclosures for telecommunications cable, and morespecifically for fiber optic cables, are of various design. U.S. Pat.No. 4,831,215 discloses an aerial enclosure having a seal disposed ineach end of the enclosure to provide protection to the interior of theenclosure from moisture from the environment. The seals are provided intwo halves which are received in either half of the aerial enclosure.The seals have ribs which extend interiorly into the opening to providea good sealing relationship between the seal and the fiber optic cable.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,701,574 discloses a cable end seal which provides abarrier against water where the cable enters the enclosure. The sealsare placed at the entry point for the cable and placed under compressionin order to provide a good seal around the entry point for the cable.

Fiber optic trays often have areas to receive the optical fibers and thesplices. The trays have the appropriate hardware to keep the opticalfibers properly aligned and to maintain the appropriate bend radiuses.These trays typically require a cover which is placed over the wholetray to keep the optical fibers in their place.

What is needed is a management system for keeping input and tap fiberseparate from each other so that they will not be disturbed or confusedfor each other. What is also needed is a tray which will keep theoptical fibers organized and in their proper place without the use of acover to completely cover the tray.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention comprises a fiber optic management system with a trayhaving a first fiber optic receiving area to receive an input opticalfiber. A second fiber optic receiving area receives a tap fiber. A fiberoptic splice connector is disposed between the first and the secondfiber optic receiving area to receive the input fiber from one side andthe tap fiber from another side. Whereby the first and the second fiberoptic receiving areas can be loaded with their respective fibers withoutdisturbing the other fiber optic receiving area.

The invention further comprises a fiber optic tray with a holder havinga base and a fiber optic cable receiving area. The fiber optic receivingarea has a series of walls upstanding from the base. The walls form anarrow raceway in circular shape. The raceway is open to the top toreceive a optical fiber therein. A plug has a gripping section and asecuring section. The plug is dimensioned so that the securing sectionis received within the raceway in an interference fit with the walls oneither side of the raceway. The gripping section extends above the wallsto provide a surface for removing the plug and to prevent the plug frombeing received completely within the raceway. The plug secures theoptical fiber within the raceway.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way ofexample with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the enclosure of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial isometric view showing the entry end of theenclosure with the grommet and plug of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view showing the enclosure open with the grommetand plug of the present invention, and showing a representative fiberoptic tray;

FIG. 4 is as isometric view showing the grommet and the plug installedwithin the enclosure;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the grommet;

FIG. 6 is a rear view of an alternative embodiment of the grommet;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the alternative embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the grommet with representations of differentsizes of cables that can be received within the grommet;

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of the plug of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a side view of the plug;

FIG. 11 is an isometric view of one half of the plug;

FIG. 12 is an isometric view of the fiber optic tray of the presentinvention;

FIG. 13 is a close up view showing one of the raceways of the presentinvention;

FIG. 14 is a top view of the fiber optic tray showing a representationof the optical fiber to be received within the tray;

FIG. 15 is a partial isometric view of the raceway plug of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 16 is a cross sectional view showing the raceway plug inconjunction with the raceway.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows generally a fiber optic splice enclosure 10 which is usedalong an aerial fiber optic cable 12. The fiber optic cable 12 is anaerial cable which is extended between utility poles. The fiber opticenclosure 10 is installed on the aerial fiber optic cable between theutility poles. The enclosure 10 is used to splice one or more opticalfibers from the fiber optic cable 12 to a tap fiber of tap cable 14. Theenclosure is secured to a messenger cable 16 and hangs from the cable 16which extends between the utility poles also. The enclosure is securedto the cable by use of a hangar 18 which is connected from the fiberoptic splice enclosure 10 to the auxiliary cable 16. The enclosure is adurable dielectric material which is made out of two halves which arehinged together along one side and latched together along the otherside. The fiber optic cable and the tap fiber extend into the enclosurefrom either end of the enclosure through an entry portion.

Along either end of the enclosure, in the entry openings 20, aregrommets 30 which are used to seal up the entry openings 20 around thefiber optic cable 12 and the tap cable 14 extending into the enclosure10. The grommets on either end have three openings as is shown in FIG.2. The openings 32 are designed to receive the fiber optic cable or atap fiber therethrough. When the openings are not being used, it isnecessary to plug up the openings to prevent moisture from gettinginside the fiber optic enclosure 10. In order to accomplish this, plug80 is secured into the opening 32 to prevent moisture from gettinginside the enclosure. The enclosure 10 is secured along an aerial fiberoptic cable 12 and it is therefore important to protect the inside ofthe enclosure against driven rain. The grommet 30 and the plug 80 of thepresent invention are designed to provide this protection.

FIG. 3 shows the fiber optic enclosure 10 of the current invention withthe hinged enclosure open. As can be seen more clearly, the two halvesare secured together along the one side by hinges. The representativeembodiment shows that the enclosure has resilient latches for securingthe enclosure closed. However, some other means could be used to securethe enclosure such as screws, or any other type of closing means. Theenclosure is made out of a durable dielectric material as was describedearlier. Preferably, it is a double layer, blow molded plastic enclosureto provide the strength needed to protect the fiber cables in the field.

The fiber optic enclosure 10 also includes a fiber optic splice trayrepresented at 99. The fiber optic splice tray is used to splice aninput fiber from the fiber optic cable 12 to a tap fiber from the tapcable 14, to provide service, for example, into a customer's home. Thefiber optic splice tray 99 shown in FIG. 3 is a representative example.The fiber optic splice tray of the current invention will be describedmore fully hereinafter.

The grommet 30 of the present invention will now be described in moredetail. The grommet has a two part body which is secured in an endopening of the fiber optic enclosure 10. As was described earlier, thegrommet when closed has three openings 32 which extend from the exteriorof the enclosure to the interior of the enclosure. The grommet is madeup of individual hermaphroditic halves 34, as seen in FIG. 3. Thegrommet has a front face 36 and a rearward face 38 and ends 42, as seenin FIG. 5. Along the front face 36 are channels 44. There are threechannels to receive either a fiber optic cable or a tap cable. A fourthchannel 46, disposed along one end, is designed to receive an arm of thehanger 18 to provide a seal about the access for the hanger. The hangaris used to secure the inside of the fiber optic enclosure, the fiberoptic cable 12, and the fiber optic tray to the auxiliary cable 16.

Each of the channels 44 comprise a series of webs which extend from oneside 48 to the other side 50. The channel 44 has an approximatelyconstant outer dimension 52. Along the length of the channel, a seriesof webs 54 extend inwardly from the outer dimension 52 to an innerdimension of the individual web 54. As can be seen in FIG. 5, the websget larger as you move from one side, towards the center of the grommet,and then get smaller as you proceed to the opposite side. The effect ofthis is to provide a cable receiving channel 56 which gets narrower asyou approach the center of the grommet. The individual webs 54 havespaces 58 therebetween.

The grommet is made of a pliable dielectric material which allow thewebs in combination with the spaces to flex about depending on the sizeof the cable received within the cable receiving channel 56. The grommetcan be made from silicone rubber, polyurethane, or any other materialwhich would provide the necessary pliability. The grommet also has aseries of positioning teeth 60 and a series of positioning recesses 62.When two of the hermaphroditic halves are brought together, thepositioning teeth 60 on one half are received within the positioningrecess 62 on the other half thereby positioning the two halves of thegrommet together and ensuring that they are correctly aligned and,further, keeping them secured against each other.

FIG. 8 is a representation of the effect of securing different sizewires within the grommet 30. On the left hand side of FIG. 8 it can beseen that a relatively larger cable is received within the cablereceiving channel 56 as can be seen from the ghost outlines indicated at64. When the cable 64 is received down within the channel 56, the cable64 will engage the series of webs almost all the way through the channelwith the exception of the two outermost webs on either side of thegrommet. Because the grommet is made out of a pliable dielectricmaterial, the web along the center of the cable receiving channel willbe pushed out of the way and conform around the outer periphery of thecable 64. The tight fit between the webs 54 and the cable 64 provides aneffective seal against ingress of water from the exterior of theenclosure to the interior of the enclosure.

On the right hand side in FIG. 8, there is shown the effect of havingthe smaller cable diameter secured within the grommet 30. The smallercable is shown along the right hand side of Figure and is represented byghost lines at 66. As can be seen, the smaller cable engages only thosewebs which are along the very center of the cable receiving channel 56,that is the center most five webs will engage the outer diameter ofcable 66. These webs along the center will be deformed against the outerdiameter of the cable, thereby providing a tight fit between those websand the cable. This tight fit will also prevent ingress of water fromthe outer environment of the enclosure to the interior of the enclosure.Therefore the effect of the grommet of the current invention is toprovide effect sealing means against cables of a varying diameters fromingress of water through the grommet.

FIG. 7 shows an alternative embodiment of the grommet of the presentinvention. The grommet 30' is also made out of hermaphroditic halves 34'and forms openings 32' when two halves are brought together. The grommetalso has channels 44' for receiving fiber optic cables and channel 46'for receiving an arm of the hanger. The channels have outer dimensions52' which remain approximately continuous from one side of the grommetto the other side. The webs 54' extend from the outer dimension of thechannel 44' into the interior of the channel 44' forming cable receivingchannel 56'. Rather than having a smooth conical shape formed by thevarying sizes of the webs, the first four webs along the outer side areapproximately the same size. The next webs project further in towardsthe interior to form a narrower channel towards the center. It is not acontinuous change from the outer most webs towards the center most webs,instead the change can be described as stepped from the outermost websto the innermost webs. The four outermost webs are approximately thesame size providing the cable receiving channel with approximately thesame diameter in that region. The next web is a little bit largerproviding a smaller channel. The inner three most webs are approximatelythe same size providing the narrowest portion of the channel 56'. Whilethe dimensions of the webs 54' and grommet 30' vary from the earlyembodiment, the effect of the grommet is exactly the same. Thecentermost webs will engage the smallest diameter cable while a largercable will engage both the centermost webs and also the webs along theouter side of the channel, thereby providing a good seal against theingress of water on both small diameter cables and larger diametercables.

FIG. 6 shows the rearward face of the grommet 30'. The rearward face hasribs 70' extending from one end to the other. The ribs are provided toretain the grommet 30' within the fiber optic enclosure 10. The fiberoptic enclosure 10 has complementary recesses which receive the ribs 70'thereby keeping the grommet within the enclosure in the proper locationand to provide a sealing engagement between the grommet 30' and thewalls of the enclosure 10. Along ends of the ribs in either theembodiment shown in FIG. 5 or that which is shown in FIG. 7 areprotrusion 72' and recesses 74'. When the hermaphroditic halves 34' arebrought together in either the embodiments the protrusion 72' on one ofthe halves 34' will be received within the opening 74' on the matinghermaphroditic half 34 thereby providing additional alignment betweenthe two hermaphroditic halves of the grommet and to secure the halvestogether. The embodiment of the grommet 30 shown in FIG. 5 has similarribs 70, protrusions 72 and recesses 74 and will engage the enclosure 10in a similar manner.

The operation of the grommet within the enclosure 10 is shown in detailin FIG. 4. The grommet is received within the entry opening of theenclosure, one half 34 is received in one half of the enclosure, theother half of the grommet is received in the other half of the enclosureThe fiber optic cable is received in the cable receiving channel 56displacing those webs with which it engages. Therefore, when theenclosure is closed, the two hermaphroditic halves 34 of the grommet 30engage each other along the entry point of the enclosure therebysecuring the cable within the grommet and preventing water from enteringthe interior of the enclosure.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, when the enclosure has one fiber optic cable12 extending completely through and only one tap cable 14 extending intothe enclosure, there are three additional openings 32 within thegrommets which are not being utilized. It is important to have theseextra openings to provide flexibility for the technician when installingthe cable into the enclosure from different directions. In order toprevent moisture from getting into the interior of the enclosure throughthese openings, it is necessary to place a plug within the openings. Theplug 80 of the current invention is shown in FIG. 3, with further detailshown in FIGS. 4, 9-10. The plug 80 is made up of two halves 82 whichare joined together at a break section 84. The break section 84 is anarrow piece of plastic which is designed to be broken in the event thatonly one half of the plug is needed. FIG. 3 shows an example of wherethe whole plug 80 is used and also where one half of the plug is used.On the right hand side of the enclosure in FIG. 3 there are two openingswhich need to be plugged. Therefore, the entire plug 80 is placed withinthese two openings, thereby sealing up both of the openings. On theother hand, on the left hand side of the enclosure, a tap fiber isextending through one of the openings so therefore it is only necessaryto use one half 82 of the plug 80 to secure up the additional opening32. Therefore, the plug 80 is broken in half by placing a small amountof pressure along the break section 84.

The plug has a wall 86 which acts as an outer sealing member and isreceived along the exterior of the grommet 30. The plug has acylindrical tower 88 which extends from the interior portions of thewall 86. The two towers are spaced from each other the same distance astwo adjacent openings 32 on the grommet 30. Slightly offset from thewall 86 is disk 90 which extends from the cylindrical tower and acts asan inner sealing member. The disk being an integral part of thecylindrical tower but offset from the wall 86 thereby forming a spacebetween the disk 90 and the wall 86. On the cylindrical tower 88, on theend opposite of the wall 86, is a hold down through hole 92. This holddown can be used to secure the plug within the grommet by a tie wrapsecured to the inside of the enclosure or some other type of securingmeans.

The use of the plug is shown in detail in FIG. 4. Whether the plug 80 isused as a whole or just as one half, the cylindrical tower is receivedalong the cable receiving channel 56 thereby engaging the webs 54 toprovide a tight fit along the channel. To provide additional sealing,the disk 90 is received between two consecutive webs spaced slightly offfrom the side of the grommet. In particular, the disk is receivedbetween the second and the third web from the exterior side of thegrommet as is shown in FIG. 4. The wall 86 is received along theexterior side of the grommet thereby completely sealing the openings 32from ingress of moisture into the interior of the enclosure. Thecombination of the tower being sealed against the webs of the channeland the disk and wall provide effective sealing against driven rain.Additionally, the hold downs 92 can be secured on the inside of theenclosure by tie wraps which are not shown in FIG. 4. The plug 80 willoperate in a similar fashion if it is first broken in half and used toonly plug up one opening 32. The only difference being that only one ofthese plugs will be used and the wall will only extend part way alongthe exterior of the grommet.

FIG. 3 shows a representative fiber optic splice tray disposed on theinterior of the fiber optic enclosure 10. This fiber optic splice traywould house fiber optic splices for connecting an input fiber with anoutput fiber to direct optical impulses into the output fiber. These aretypically used to provide the through signal to an output fiber directedto a converter box to convert the optical signal to an electrical signalfor customer wiring in either a home or a business.

In FIG. 3, it can be seen that the represented fiber optic tray 99includes extensions 98 on either side which are secured to a hangerportion 20. This hanger portion 20 is then secured to the hanger 18which secures the fiber optic enclosures to the messenger cable 16. Thehanger portion 24 has three serrated portions 22 such as alternatingribs and grooves over which the through fiber and the tap fiber aresecured. The through fiber and the tap fiber are secured to the hangerportion 20 in these regions using hose clamps. The serrated portionprovides a good gripping surface on which to secure the fibers. Thisprevents the fibers from slipping side to side in relation to the hangerportion. The hangar portion 20 is then secured to hangar 18 providinggood support for the interior workings of the enclosure 10.

The fiber optic splice tray of the current invention will now bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 12-16. FIG. 12 shows the fiber optictray 100 of the present invention. The tray 100 has a front face 102along which the fiber optic management system is disposed. Along oneedge of the tray is express buffer channel 104. The express bufferchannel runs from one end to the other along the one edge and provides achannel for receiving the express buffer fiber or the bundle of fiberoptic cables that are not to be used as an input fiber, in other words,those fibers that will just be running through the enclosure withoutbeing modified. Along either end of the express buffer channel areserrated sections 106. The serrated sections have a series of groovesand ribs to form a textured surface along which the through fiber can besecured. The serrated sections have indentations 108 and through holes110. These are used in cooperation with a hose clamp to secure thethrough cable to the tray 100. This will be combined with the hangarportion to connect the tray to the hangar and ultimately, to themessenger cable 16. A wall 112 separates the express buffer channel fromthe fiber optic management system 114 thereby preventing the throughfiber from becoming intermingled with the input fiber and the tapfibers.

The fiber optic management system comprises three individual raceways116 and 118. The smaller, more circular raceways 116, disposed on eitherend of the fiber optic management system, are to receive the input fiberwhich comes off of the through cable. The central raceway 116 is toreceive the tap fiber from the tap cable 14. While the raceways areshown as being approximately circular or oval shaped, the raceways couldbe designed in any type of shape which allows the fibers to be retainedand still maintain the appropriate bend radiuses. Disposed between theraceways 118 and 116 are fiber optic connector receiving areas 120. Thereceiving areas 120 are designed to receive a panel of fiber opticconnectors 132 to connect the input fiber with the tap fiber. Disposedalong wall 112 is an express fiber channel 122. The express fiberchannel is a narrow channel designed to receive any of the fibers thatare part of the bundle from which the input fiber is received, however,they will not be involved in the tap connection. Those fibers arereceived along the express fiber channel 122 and join the through fiberon either end of the tray 100.

Each of the raceways are designed using a series of walls 123 formed incircular or oval shapes defining narrow channels 124 therebetween. Theshapes are designed to ensure that the optical fibers maintain theappropriate bend radiuses. The channels 124 are designed to receive theinput fiber therein. An input optical fiber will be mounted within oneof the raceways 116 on either end of the fiber optic management system.The raceway 116 to be used depends on the direction that the opticalsignal is traveling. The raceway 116 that will be used is that which isclosest to the source of the optical signal. In FIG. 12, if the opticalsignal were going through the through fiber from right to left, theraceway 116 on the right side of the tray 100 would be the one to beused to manage the input fiber.

FIG. 14 shows a representation of how the fibers will be installedwithin the channels. The input fiber 130 is threaded into the raceway116 such that the fiber is received into the channel 124 between theupstanding walls 123. The input fiber 130 is arranged around the circleof the raceway 116 to take up any extra slack. When the end of the inputfiber is reached, the input fiber is then threaded into the centerportion of the raceway 116 by exiting out of the exit area 126. The exitarea 126 is an opening between the walls of the raceway allowing thefiber to exit the channel 124 and enter the center portion 128 of theraceway. The fiber can be arranged within the center portion 128 to takeup additional slack and to align the fiber for entry into one of thefiber optic splice connectors 132. The input fiber is then fed into thefiber optic connector 132 which is received in the fiber optic connectorreceiving area 120 and connected to the one side of the connector forsplicing with the connector.

When it is time for another technician to install the tap fiber, it isnot necessary for the technician to touch any of the input optical fiber130 that has been installed in the raceway 116e At this point, the inputfiber is completely secured inside its own management system and thereis no need for any additional manipulation. The tap fiber 140 will besecured within raceway 118 separate from the raceway 116 such that thetechnician does not need to, in any way, manipulate the input fiber. Thetap fiber is brought along the channels from either end of the tray 100and is threaded through the raceway 118 and arranged in the channels ina circular fashion. Again when the end of the tap fiber is approached,it will exit out of the channels through the exit area 134 into thecenter portion 134 of the raceway 118 to be fed to the opposite side ofthe fiber optic connector 132 which is disposed in the fiber opticconnector receiving area. Raceway 118 has four exit areas 134. Theseexit areas provide flexibility in storing the tap fiber within theraceway. If there is a lot of slack to be taken up within the raceway,the tap fiber can be weaved in and out of the raceway by entering andexiting the channels through the exit areas 128. Any extra slack cantherefore be maintained also within the center portion 138 of theraceway 118.

The typical fiber optic tray requires a cover to be received over thewhole tray in order to ensure that the optical fibers are maintained intheir correct position. In the fiber optic management system of thecurrent invention, no such cover is necessary. The raceways definenarrow channels 124 in which plug 148 can be received to secure thefiber optic cables within the channel. Plug 148 is made out of aflexible material which can be bent to fit within the curves of theraceway 116 or 118. Once the fibers are arranged in the raceways withinthe narrow channel, the plug can be pushed into the channels in aninterference fit with the walls 123 of the channels 124 thereby securingthe cables within the channels. The plug has a narrow section 142 and ahandle section 144. The handle section 144 can be used by the technicianto hold onto the plug. The narrow section 142 is received down inbetween the walls of the raceway within the channels 124 in aninterference fit. The plug has a certain length shown and can be cut toaccommodate the different lengths or whatever length is needed for thespecific purpose. Alternatively, the plug can be cut into small pieceswhich can be distributed about the periphery of the raceway therebyconserving material.

The advantages of the fiber optic management system of the tray shownare that the technician who initially installs the fiber optic enclosureon the aerial fiber optic cable can also install the input cable withinthe fiber optic management system in a specified area. Later when itcomes time to tap into the fiber optic cable such as to run a line to acustomer's home or business, the technician who will install the tapfiber does not need to disturb the input fiber as it has already beeninstalled in its necessary position. Instead, the technician can installthe input fiber in a separate area in its own management system, therebyinsuring that the cables do not get entangled or messed up to theidentity of which cable is which. A further advantage of the fiber opticcable management system of the present invention is that it is notnecessary to have a separate cover member to keep the fiber optic cablescontained. The plug member can be cut to any length and be installed atdifferent places throughout the raceway thereby eliminating the need fora separate cover. A further advantage of the present invention is thatthe tray can be secured directly to the through fiber within the fiberoptic enclosure.

The grommet, plug and fiber optic management system of the presentinvention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood fromthe foregoing description. It is apparent that various changes may bemade in the form, construction, and arrangement of parts thereof withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention, or sacrificing allof its material advantages.

What is claimed is:
 1. A fiber optic management tray, comprising:a firstfiber optic receiving area having a substantially circular racewayformed by walls with a channel therebetween to receive a first opticalfiber, a second fiber optic receiving area to receive a second opticalfiber, a fiber optic splice connector disposed between the first and thesecond fiber optic receiving areas to receive the first optical fiberfrom one side and the second optical fiber from another side, wherebyeach of the first and the second fiber optic receiving areas can beloaded with their respective optical fibers without disturbing the otherof the first or second fiber optic receiving areas.
 2. The fiber opticmanagement tray of claim 1, wherein the walls form an outer racewaysurrounding an inner area, the walls having an exit point wherein thefiber exits from the outer raceway to the inner area to be connected tothe splice connector.
 3. The fiber optic management tray of claim 1,wherein the second fiber optic receiving area has an oval raceway havingwalls with a channel therebetween wherein the channel receives thesecond fiber.
 4. The fiber optic management tray of claim 3, wherein thewalls form an outer raceway surrounding an inner area, the walls havingan exit point wherein the fiber exits from the outer raceway to theinner area to be connected to the splice connector.
 5. The fiber opticmanagement tray of claim 1, wherein the tray has an express bufferchannel to receive the express buffer fiber.
 6. The fiber opticmanagement tray of claim 5, wherein the tray has a through raceway toreceive the through fibers.
 7. The fiber optic management tray of claim5, wherein the tray has two serrated sections along either end, theserrated sections being aligned with the express buffer channel, theserrated sections being used to secure the tray to the insulationsurrounding the fiber optic cables.
 8. The fiber optic management trayof claim 1, wherein the tray to form channels for receipt of an opticalfiber therein, the channels forming the first and second fiber opticreceiving areas.
 9. The fiber optic management tray of claim 8, whereina plug is received between the walls within the channel in aninterference fit to secure the optical fiber within the channel.
 10. Afiber optic tray, comprising:a holder having a base and a fiber opticcable receiving area, the fiber optic receiving area having a series ofwalls upstanding from the base, the walls forming a narrow raceway incircular shape, the raceway being open to the top to receive a opticalfiber therein, a plug having a gripping section and a securing section,the plug being dimensioned so that the securing section is receivedwithin the raceway in an interference fit with the walls on either sideof the raceway, the gripping section extending above the walls toprovide a surface for removing the plug and to prevent the plug frombeing received completely within the raceway, the plug securing theoptical fiber within the raceway.
 11. The fiber optic tray of claim 10,wherein a first fiber optic receiving area has a circular raceway havingwalls with a channel therebetween wherein the recess receives a inputfiber.
 12. The fiber optic tray of claim 11, wherein the walls form anouter raceway surrounding an inner area, the walls having an exit pointwherein the fiber exits from the outer raceway to the inner area to beconnected to a splice connector.
 13. The fiber optic tray of claim 10,wherein a second fiber optic receiving area has an oval raceway havingwalls with a channel therebetween wherein the channel receives a tapfiber.
 14. The fiber optic tray of claim 13, wherein the walls form anouter raceway surrounding an inner area, the walls having an exit pointwherein the fiber exits from the outer raceway to the inner area to beconnected to a splice connector.
 15. The fiber optic tray of claim 10,wherein the tray has an express buffer channel to receive the expressbuffer fiber.
 16. The fiber optic tray of claim 15, wherein the tray hasa through raceway to receive the through fibers.
 17. The fiber optictray of claim 15, wherein the tray has two serrated sections alongeither end, the serrated sections being aligned with the express bufferchannel, the serrated sections being used to secure the tray to theinsulation surrounding the fiber optic cables.
 18. The fiber optic trayof claim 10, wherein the tray to form channels for receipt of an opticalfiber therein, the channels forming the first and second fiber opticreceiving areas.
 19. The fiber optic tray of claim 18, wherein a plug isreceived between the walls within the channel in an interference fit tosecure the optical fiber within the channel.